Pipe-coupling.



W. S. PIERCE.

PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 1915.

1 153,24. Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

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WILLIAM 's'. BIERCE, or FRANKLIN,- PENNSYLVANIA.

PIPE-COUPLING".

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 1%, 1915.

Application filedlf ebruary 20, 1915. Serial No. 9,741.

Tofn'ZZ whom at may iconccm lie-z it] known that. I, l/VILLIKMj S." Pirmon,

acjtiaonof the United- States, residing at Franklin, in the county of Venango and bftate of :Pennsylvania,Qliave"invented certain new and useful Improvements iii-Pipe- Goiiplings; and I. do ,ller'ebyj declare the following tobe' a full, clear,, afndex act descri neath,- so'as to render the packing ineffective;

A further object of the present invention tion. of the inventiongisuch. as will enab e others skilled in theja'rt'to which it appertains to make andus'e the same.

' Thepres'ent invention relates topipe couplings, and consists more particularly in an' improved pipecou-pling especially designed for connecting the .fle xible' metallic conduits between the locomotive and tender and between ra-llway carsfor conveying-air, steam,

water, or other fluid, although I do not wish to be understood as restricting the invention to this applicationalone.-

It is an object pf the, present lnventiontoh produce a pipe coupling of this character'- wherein is provided an improved packing oxpansible under the automatic action of the fluid pressure, and arranged withits' base in communication with the atmosphere prevent the accumulation of pressure there-beresides in providing anuimproved fpipe c011 pling wherein the partsw'il-l be few and sim' -ple and arranged for ready assembly to per-- mit of quick repairs, as it is essential to avoid delaying trains that the repairs. may

be made with allposs-ible despatch;

With these and other objects in iew the invention consists-in the. novel details of construction and combinations of partsmore' Perspec ive view=of- .a. 1 1ig used in connection with the invention. 4 Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates an elbow constructed at' either end with an external shoulder 2, and

' threaded'to receive coupling nuts 3. F01

I ings forming a part of this=application,' and in which simi-,,-

Fig. 3 1slowing the usual manner, the coupling nuts 3 'a1'e provided with inturned flanges 4, cooperating with complemental flanges 5 for connecting swivel sections 6,the same being enlarged and internally threaded to receive the train pipe, as will be understood. Interp'osed between the flanges 4' and 5 are rings 210f Babbitt metal or other material suitable for furnishing bearings upon which the flanges 5 of the swivel section 6 may freely revolve, and also furnishing secondary packings to prevent the escape of fluid should the primary gaskets become disrupted, as here-' inafter described.

The inner ends of the swivel sections 6, above the flanges 5, are reduced, as advantageouslyfshown in Fig. 1, and. are, received, at their inner ends in recesses formed in abutments 8'cast or otherwise produced in the. elbow.l. In the annular chambers 9, formed between the reduced inner portions of the'swivel sections 6 and 'theouter walls lOof any suitable construction, preferably of thetype set forth more specifically in my co-pending application Serial No. 870,650,

of the -'elbow 1, are fitted expansible gaskets filed November 6,1914, and entitled Improvement's in washing apparatus. As advantageously disclosed in Fig. 1 such gasket 10 is constructed of suitable expansible ma terial and formed with all-shaped groove 11, providing. concentric divided walls 12 ,a'nd-13 arranged to receive and beexpanded by the internal pressure of the conduits.

The annular chamber 9 is placed in communication with the interior of the elbow l and/conduits through series of perforations Hand-15, provided respectively in the abut- '1nents'8 and reduced inner portions of the 'swivel member 6. Such perforations 14 and 15 aflord free admittance of the fluid pressure into the chambers 9, wherein is located the expansible gasketsllO; and the pressure isreceived into the V-shap'ed grooves 11 thereof and operatesto expand the concen- Ztric divided walls 12 and 13 to provide a tight joint :betweenthe swivel sections and elbow walls, as will be apparent. Sa1d perforations also form'drains toprevent water from freezing in said chamber.

Beneath the expansible gaskets 10, in the annular chambers 9, are placed washers 16 "supported-on the flanges 5 of the swivel members 6, and illustrated more particularly in Fig. 3 to be provided with beveled lnner and outer lower edges 17 and.l8, and traversed by radial channels 19 shown to be an ranged in diametrically opposed pairs, although the same may be produced in any other desired manner. The radial channels 19' in the washerv 16 are fitted opposite grooves 20 formed in the outer ends of the elbow 1; the same being connected by an annular channel, preferably constituted by the screw threads 21, which, as shown in Fig. 1, are'extended beneath the flanges 5 in the swivel member 6. The coupling nuts 3 are provided with openings 22 for placing the annular channel 21 in direct communication with the atmosphere, and the openings may be threaded, as indicated, for receiving plugs 23, as shown in Fig. 4, when the gasket 10 has been disrupted, as hereinafter described.

It will be understood that the arrangement of radial channels 19 in the washer 16, grooves 20, and screw threads 21 place the base of the gasket 10 indirect communication with the atmosphere through the openings 22 in the coupling nuts 3,, and relieve all leakage of pressure about said gaskets and prevent theaccumulation of pressure beneath the same, so as to render the gaskets ineffective. It willv thus be appreciated that the full effect of the pressure in the train pipe will be utilized to expand the walls 12 and 13 of the gasket 10, and provide a tight joint between the members of the couling.

Provided the gaskets 10 give way, or become disrupted, during operation, so as to place the interior of'the conduit in direct communication with the atmosphere, the plugs 23 may be inserted in the threaded openings 22 and prevent the escape of the fluid until such time as repairs may be made. It is to be understood that the gasket 10 isnormally effective to provide a tight oint and the secondary packing 7 is inoperative. In case of emergency,- when the gasket 10 is disrupted or springs a leak, the plug 23, or other suitable device, will be arranged to close the communication with the atmosphere, and the secondary packing will thereupon become; effective and prevent leakage.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may .be required by the claims. I- claim: 1. In a pipe coupling, the combination of a pair of pipe sections provided one with a plurality of transverse grooves therein, a coupling nut provided with an.annular passage connecting said grooves and an opening placing said passage in communication with the atmosphere, an ex ansible gasket 'locatedin said coupling an arranged with its base in communication with said grooves,

and a plug for insertion in the opening in ing said passage in communication with the said coupling collar to close communication with the atmosphere, substantially as described.

2. In a pipe coupling, the combination of pipe sections providing a chamber adapted to be arranged in communication with the atmosphere, a gasket located in said chamber, and a washer arranged beneath said gasket and provided with transverse channels for conducting away leakage about said j gasket to the atmosphere, substantially as described.

3. In a pipe coupling, the combination of pipe sections providing a chamber adapted to be arranged in communication with the atmosphere, a gasket mounted in said chamber, and a washer located beneath said gasketand provided with beveled under edges and a plurality of transverse channels for conducting away leakage,substantially as described.

4. Ina pipe coupling, the combination of pipe sections providing a chamber therebetween, means for coupling said sections, together and provided with a passage placing said chamber in communication with the atm'osphere, a gasket mounted in said chamber, a washer located beneath said gasket and provided with a plurality of transverse openings leading to said passage for conveying away leakage, and means for closing at mospheric' communication, substantially as described.

5. In a pipe coupling, the combination of a .pair of pipe sections formed one with transverse grooves therein, means for connecting said sections together and provided with a passage connecting said grooves and an opening for placing said passage in communication with the atmosphere, a plug for closing said opening, a gasket mounted be tween saidpipe sections, and a washer locatcd beneath said gasket and provided with a plurality of transverse. channels registering with the grooves in said pipe section for conveying away leakage, substantially as described.

'6. In a pipe coupling, the combination of a pair of pipe section's providing a chamber therebetween in communication with-the interior thereof and formed one with a plurality of transverse grooves in communic'ation with said chamber, an expansible gasket mounted in said chamber, a washer located beneath said. gasket and provided with a plurality of transverse channels registering with the grooves in said pipe section, a coupling nut provided with a passage connecting"said grooves and an opening placatmosphere, and a removable plug adapted to be inserted in the opening in said coupling nut for closing atmospheric communication, substantially as described.

7. In apipe-coupling,-the combination of an elbow provided with transversely grooved ends, a perforated and shouldered abutment in said elbow, a swivel pipe section received into said elbow and fitted against thev when said gasket is disrupted to prevent leakage and bring said. secondary packing into action, substantially as described.

8. In a pipe coupling, the combination of an elbow provided with transversely grooved ends, perforated and shouldered abutments in said elbow, swivel pipe sections provided with reduced and perforated inner portions fitted to revolve against the shoulders of said abutlnents and providing with the ends of said elbow annular chambers in communication with the fluid through said perforations, flanges formed on said swivel sections engaging the grooved ends of said elbow and providing bases for said chambers, expansible gaskets mounted in said chambers, annular washers mounted to rest on said flanges and supporting said expansible gaskets, said washers being provided with transverse under-channels registering with the grooves in said elbow ends, coupling nuts for connecting said elbow and swivel sections and provided with annular passages connecting the said grooves and openings in communication with the atmosphere, flanges on said coupling nuts, secondary packings located between said flanges, and plugsvfor closing the openings in said coupling nuts, substantially as described.

9. In a pipe coupling, the combination of adjacent pipe sections providing therebetween a chamber in communication with the atmosphere, an eXpansible gasket located in said chamber, a coupling collar, a secondary packing mounted between said coupling collar and one of said pipe sections, and means for closing communication from said cham her to the atmosphere when the gasket be comes disrupted to prevent leakage and bring said secondarypacking into play, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.-

WILLIAM S. PIERCE.

Witnesses JOHN L. NESBIT,-

MARGARET MARTIN. 

